


Family Ties.

by BarPurple



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Gen, Post Season 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-14
Updated: 2015-07-14
Packaged: 2018-04-09 08:57:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4342217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Its a family tree that would make Hallmark weep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Ties.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I've posted in ages and the first one in this fandom. I'm easing back in with a bit of fluff.

“You look troubled. Are the boys misbehaving?”

David dropped himself onto the picnic blanket and grabbed a chicken wing as he waited for Robin to reply. Looking round he spotted the kids; they looked fine to him.

“The boys are being as good as gold…which now I think on it probably doesn’t offer the same reassurance in this town.”

David laughed around his mouthful of chicken and almost choked. Robin gave him a hearty slap on the back. As David recalled Rumpelstiltskin’s latest exploits he decided that there were a few phrases that just didn’t work in Storybrooke anymore. 

Robin’s gaze returned to Henry and Roland, who were playing together a little way off. The game involved running around Neal’s stroller and pulling ridiculous faces at the baby, who was possibly the most generous judge of such things ever. Their laughter brought a smile to the faces of both men.

“They get on as well as real brothers.”

Robin sounded proud of this, but there was still a touch of faraway thoughtfulness in his voice that David couldn’t quite put a name too.

“So, why the troubled face?”

“Not troubled, more puzzled. I was trying to work out what they are to each other in terms of family.”

David puffed out a breath and fished two bottles of beer from the cooler; this was going to be complicated.

“You’re engaged to Regina, who is Henry’s adopted mother, so I suppose that makes Henry and Roland cousins maybe?”

Robin twisted the cap off the beer as he shook his head.

“That doesn’t sound right. I was thinking step-brothers.”

“You’re right, so that would make Neal Roland’s step-uncle? Is that even a thing?”

Robin pondered for a moment.

“I don’t see why not, but Regina is also Henry’s great-grandmother, by way of being Snow White’s step-mother.”

With a sigh and a puzzled frown, David started scratching in the ground with a stick, sketching out a rough family tree as he worked out the relationships.

“So that would make Roland uncle to Neal and great-uncle to Henry?”

There was a twinkle in Robin’s eye as the implications dawned on him. The mischievous gleam shone through in his voice.

“Then Roland is Snow’s step-brother; your step-brother-in-law and I’m your step-father-in-law!”

David’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but he laughed and punched Robin playfully on the shoulder.

“Yeah, sure thing Pops.”

“And I thought having a child with Regina’s wicked half-sister who was disguised as my dead wife was complicated.”

“That is practically normal for this family.”

The two men were distracted by the boisterous arrival of the kids. Roland was pushing Neal’s stroller, but because he couldn’t see where he was going Henry was steering so they made it to the picnic blanket more by luck and judgement.

“I pushed the stroller, Daddy!”

Roland threw himself onto his father, only Robin’s speedy reflexes saved his beer from flying through the air.

“I was watching Roland, you did very well.”

Henry was flushed and a little out of breath, grinning ear to ear. 

“Grandpa, Uncle Neal needs a diaper change.”

“And you couldn’t do that because…”

“Roland wants to climb the castle and he asked me to help him.”

David rolled his eyes at Henry’s perfectly innocent expression. To be fair to Henry he pitched in more than you’d expect a teenager too. A tug on his sleeve turned his attention to Roland.

“What were you drawing?”

David looked at the scratched family tree in the dirt by the edge of the blanket. Behind Roland Robin gave him a shrug and nod.

“Your father and I were trying to work out how you and Henry are related.”

David held his breath for a second, waiting for the inevitable follow up question from the little one. Roland just fixed him with piercing look and said;

“Me and Henry worked that out ages ago.”

Robin’s face mirrored David’s expression of part impressed and part confused.

“So Roland, how are you and Henry related?”

Roland stood up and grabbed Henry’s hand obviously wanting to rush off to play. He jigged from foot to foot as he managed to put answering his father’s question before scaling the walls of the play-castle.

“We’re family. One big family.”

With his answer hanging in the air behind him Roland tugged Henry towards the castle and their next great playtime adventure. Robin and David look at each other and Robin said what they were both thinking.

“Out of the mouth of babes.”


End file.
